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Saturday, October 1

Luke Donald No 3-Putt Streak Ends at 449 Holes

Luke Donald on a roll.

IMAGINE GOING THE EQUIVALENT of nearly 25 18-hole rounds without a three-putt green. Now imagine performing the feat week in and week out against the best golfers in the world. That’s what Luke Donald had accomplished until Thursday’s opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Donald’s deft skill with the short flatstick (no belly or long putter for this putting genius) is one rather obvious reason why he sits atop the golf world. Until the 7th green (his 16th hole of the day) at Kingsbarn, the world No. 1 Englishman had not three-putted since the Canadian Open. That was in the third week of July, folks.

At least Luke didn’t lose the streak on a routine-looking two-putt. He faced a 70-footer at Kingsbarn and lagged to eight feet. The second one didn’t drop. You can’t make all of them, even if you’re Luke Donald. Still, he was disappointed.

“I was a little upset, yeah,” Donald told reporters. “It’s the little victories in golf … that we look for. I didn’t want to miss. But 69 is not a bad score to start the week.”

It's never pleasant to end a streak that amazing, but at least it happened on a really difficult putt and not some easy little three-footer. I wish I had that kind of ability. Work's getting in the way of my game, for sure.

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